treasure hunt

I was thinking some more about traveling with my sewing stuff, and wanted to share a couple more things. Something new that I just tried out and liked was this gadget holder from Cocoon Innovations. It is called the Grid-It.

This is the small size, I picked it up at Office Max because the idea interested me. I am perpetually on the hunt for better ways to keep my stuff organized and easy to take with me. I had kept all these chargers, cords, etc., in a zipped bag in my laptop case, which worked pretty well. I tried out this Grid-It on my last trip and found it worked just fine, and kept everything tangle-free. It is covered with interwoven grippy elastic straps and can be used in many different ways. I have even thought about using it for some of my sewing machine accessories.

Also very useful not only for travel but also for day-to-day use is this mini-ironing board. I bought it several years ago from a gentleman who made and sold them (his wife was a quilter,of course) and I don't think he is still doing that. But there are other sources, or you can make a similar one from a wooden folding TV table.

It is just the right height when I am seated, and sometimes serves as a spot for my small cutting mat. Then, of course, we must have a travel iron, of which there are many brands. If you are going to be sewing with a group, please do not use your standard iron because you just might be the one responsible for tripping the breaker and shutting it all down. This makes for unhappy campers, who you might have to pay off in fat quarters to restore peace! My little iron is from Black and Decker and has been a reliable product. They have changed the design since the time I bought this. And why, you might ask, are there 2 irons on my little ironing board? Good question, which brings me to explain what I did for fun this afternoon!

I went to Savers to drop off some items that I wanted to donate. If you don't have a Savers in your area, it is sort of like Goodwill. Their website says they have 220 stores, so they are more widespread than I thought. While I was at the drop off, I decided to take a look inside and see if I could discover any treasures. What I really had in mind was to find organizational/storage items to use in my sewing room, plus browsing the book section. Well, I didn't pick up any books, but I did score the little iron that is very similar to the one I had, it will be my back-up. For $5, I just couldn't pass it up! Plus, I found a plastic organizer rack for $2 that I am pretty excited about (sad, I know!). I have used a couple things for keeping my rulers sorted and handy, one was a wire file sorting rack that worked pretty good, but had a problem with smaller stuff dropping through the bottom.

This rack is doing a much better job of holding everything. You just never know what you might find at the thrift store!

As I am sorting and organizing my stash to put it back onto my shelving, I am actually taking the time to do something that I have long hoped to do. The pieces that I am "editing out" are being cut into strips and squares for future use. The 4 plastic shoeboxes here contain stacks of 2 1/2" strips and 5" squares.

I cut a bit from most of the fabrics and then put the rest into sacks that are passed on to a friend. She is one of the most resourceful people I know, and can use up most of these scraps. What she doesn't use goes on to a church group, so there is a good cycle going here!

Had another knitting finish just recently, a variation of the 22.5 degree scarf that I wrote about previously. This one was made from Moda Dea Washable Wool color 4418 Real Teal. I gave it to Brita because it matches a hat and ear warmer that I made for her this winter.

I changed up the pattern a little by putting in some bands of stockinette stitch with a yarn over/knit 2 together row to make the holes. And yes, that scalloped edge is knitted, not crocheted, and you can learn how to do it here.

And to leave you with a quote:

"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves." Anna Quindlen